Device to mechanically break apart a barrier

ABSTRACT

A device to mechanically decompose a barrier which separates two or more mutually miscible ingredients and mixes the said ingredients, preferably a mixer for amalgam in capsules. The device 1 comprises first members to fixedly hold the said ingredients and second members to impart to the said ingredients a sufficiently rapid motion to accomplish the said barrier decomposition and mixing. 
     The said first members comprise a closable space 4 into which the said ingredients and said capsule 2 respectively are admissible and by which these or this respectively is or are respectively aligned with the said second members 14, 15. The said second members 14, 15 are arranged to be started only upon or after closing of the said closable space 4.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device to mechanically decompose a barrierwhich separates two or more mutually miscible ingredients and to mix thesaid ingredients, preferably a mixer for amalgam in capsules, the saiddevice comprising first members to fixedly hold the said ingredients andsecond members to impart to the said ingredients a sufficiently rapidmotion to accomplish the said barrier decomposition and mixing.

Known amalgam mixers are usually very large and clumsy, are drivenelectrically, vibrate powerfully and have a high noise level, as well asrequiring accurate fixation of the capsule in which the mixable amalgamis located. Further, known mixers are usually placed so that the dentistis obliged to interrupt the work he is doing in order to move to themixer, to insert an amalgam capsule and to stop the machine. Only afterthis can the dentist or dental nurse return to the interrupted work.When mixing of the amalgam is ready the dentist or nurse must once againinterrupt what he or she is doing and walk to the mixer, remove thecapsule and return to the patient. This walking back and forthrepeatedly makes demands on the time not only of the dentist or nursebut also of the patient and thus costs large sums of money.

Known amalgam mixers also call for a relatively careful location andalignment and fixation of the capsule, which actions also takeunnecessary and expensive time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which issimple and quick to use, which is quiet-running, which gives low or noself-propagating vibrations and which is small in size and thus possibleto place in a suitable position in relation to the dentist and which isrelatively simple and thus can be manufactured at a favourable price.

The invention is characterized in the type of device mentioned in thedescriptive preamble in that the said first members comprise a closablespace in which the said ingredients and said capsule respectively armiscible and of which these and this respectively are aligned with thesaid second members, and in that the said second members are arranged tobe started only when or after closing of the said closable space. Inparticular the invention, where the said second members comprise apiston and a return-fed sleeve with bottom, is characterized in that thesaid piston is arranged to be driven reciprocatingly largely in arectilinear motion, in that the said return-fed sleeve with bottom isarranged to move essentially in the same motional direction as thepiston and in that the said ingredients and capsule respectively arearranged placeable between the piston and the sleeve with bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail below and withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the device in the invention placed asan example at the dentist's working place,

FIG. 2 shows how the device according the invention can be quicklymounted and removed for the purpose of facilitating cleaning thereof and

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the device according to the inventionselected as an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The device according to the invention is sited advantageously to closeto the dentist that he reaches the amalgam mixer 1 without any problemsand can admit a capsule 2 from a capsule rack 3 located at the side ofthe mixer into a space 4 provided in the mixer 1, the said space beingclosable by means of a movable cover 5 and provided with, not closelyillustrated, for example bowl-shaped sides to conduct the admittedcapsule 2 to the wanted position in the space 4.

The device can for example be located below the arm 6 which supports thesaliva suction device relative to a vertical post 7 of a dental chairand is supported rotatably relative to the latter by an arm 8 which isequipped to advantage with for instance a magnet 9 to hold the device inposition relative to the arm 8 and with a quick-coupling 10 forconnection of for instance compressed air to the device. Compressed airis normally already run to the dental chair to power other tools, sothat the power medium fo the device is already available in the chair.

By means of an appropriately selected timer the requisite mixing timecan be selected with a settable key 11, while a second key 12 comprisesa start button for the device according to the invention. The timer 11in its turn controls for instance a solenoid valve 13 which whenactivated admits compressed air to the device.

A selected embodiment of the device according to the invention isillustrated in cross-section by FIG. 3. The movable lid 5--in unactuatedcondition--is positioned to the left in the figure; in other words thespace 4 is open. A capsule 2 containing or provided with the ingredientswhich are to form the finished amalgam in mixed condition and which areseparated by a barrier are released or placed by the dentist in the openspace 4 and fall, guided by the side walls of the space 4 down intoposition between a bowl-shaped piston 14 and a cup 15 facing piston 14,the said cup 15 being fed to the left by for instance a spring 16, bycompressed air or in some suitable manner.

The piston 14 is movably arranged and supported relative to a tube 17which in turn is fixed to advantage via a rubber bush 18 in a verticalwall 19, mechanically coupled to the lid 5. The movable tube 17interacts with the stationary tube 20 which preferably via a rubber bush21 is fixed in the device 1. Compressed air P is connected to theleft--seen in FIG. 3--end of the stationary tube 20 by a valve 13,appropriately a solenoid valve, which is controlled by the timer 11 tobe open for a time settable on the timer, which for example can beselected to be between 5-120 seconds. The timer 1 is started toadvantage with the start key 12.

The device according to the invention functions in the following manner.The capsule 2 from the capsule rack 3 is admitted into the open space 4and drops down into the correct intended position. The wanted mixingtime is set on the timer 11 whereupon the start key 12 is activated andthe device 1 receives via the then open solenoid valve 13 compressed airP to the interior of the stationary tube 20, whereupon the interior ofthe movable tube 17 also becomes pressurized. A ball 22 in theright--seen in FIG. 3--end of the movable pipe 17 is pressed by thepressure P against a seat, whereby the movable pipe 17 accompanied bythe lid 5 and piston 14 is driven to the right in FIG. 3 all the wayuntil the lid 5 is fully closed and the space 4 is thereby sealed.

The cup 15 and thus the inserted capsule 2 are moved by the spring 16 tothe left to FIG. 3 and the bowl of the piston 14 catches the left partof the capsule 2 at a distance from the cup 15, whereby the piston 14 ismoved via the capsule 2 to the left so far that via a post 24 and aspring 23 it actuates the ball 22 to admit compressed air P to thepiston 14, which is thereby driven to the right in FIG. 3 by thecompressed air P all the way until a release 25 in the piston 14 isuncovered and the pressure drops. The said pressure release can be usedif so desired or required to cool the capsule 2 and thus the capsulemixture. The capsule 2 now returns the piston 14 to the left on accountof the action of the spring 16 and the procedure is repeated so that thecapsule 2 is thereby imparted a reciprocating motion during a timedetermined by the timer 11.

When the timer 11 closes the supply of compressed air P the lid 5 isopened by the action of the spring 16 via the cup 15, via the capsule 2,via the piston 14 and via the movable tube 17, whereby the capsule 2with the ready-mixed amalgam mixture becomes available from outside andcan be lifted up.

The object of the spring 23 is to ensure that the ball 22 is unable tooccupy any stable open intermediate position but that the ball 22 eithercloses under the influence of pressure or is opened by the post 24.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the capsule 2 is imparted arectilinear motion reciprocatingly but obviously it is also possible bymeans of appropriate resilient suspension and adaption of the weights ofdifferent parts to give the capsule 2 a motion that resembles arecumbent eight if so should be desired.

The device 1 according to the invention is equipped to advantage with aheavy bedplate 26, the mass of which is large in relation to the movingparts in the device 1 and the capsule 2, whereby any vibrations thatoccur do not influence the position of the device 1 or are propagatedoutside the device 1 to any appreciable extent.

The expression timer hereintofor obviously also includes all known meansof determining running time or the number of strokes performed by thedevice 1. For example the number of strokes can be sensed by means of aphotocell, an inductive transducer, by means of some kind of balancewheel, by means of compressed air, by means of a travelling movement forthe piston 14 and the tube 17 etc.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 the compressed air admission Phas been placed in line with the tube 17 and the piston 14 but obviouslythe supply of power medium can instead taken place via for example aflexible hose, whereby the device 1 can be made shorter essentiallycorresponding to the length of the tube 20.

Other modifications and variations respectively are obviously possiblewithin the scope of the accompanying claims.

An alternative embodiment in which valve 13, timer 11 and key 12 can beexcluded, is that the lid 5 is instead moved manually to a closedposition to the right in FIG. 3 where the lid 5 and accompanying partsare arrested via for example a mechanical or pneumatical time-regulatingdevice.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for vibrating a device containing a barrierseparating at least two mutually miscible ingredients for breaking thebarrier and subsequently mixing said ingredients, comprising:anenclosure having walls defining a space sized such as to accommodatesaid device, at least one of the walls defining said space being anouter wall of said enclosure; an opening defined in said outer wall andbeing sized to admit said device therethrough, said space being incommunication with the exterior of said enclosure through said opening;a lid coupled to said enclosure for movement between a first positionclosing said opening and a second position uncovering said opening;means for moving said lid between its first and second positions; meansfor imparting to said device a sufficiently rapid vibratory motionwithin said space to break said barrier and mix said substances, and foractuating said vibratory motion upon said lid closing said opening. 2.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vibratory motion imparting meanscomprises:a resilient means secured within said enclosure for biasingsaid device in a given direction; a pressure-actuated means for movingsaid device against the bias of said resilient means; and cycling meansfor (a) applying fluid pressure to said pressure-actuated means of apreset magnitude for moving said device against a biasing force to saidresilient means, (b) then sufficiently relieving said fluid pressure toa level such that the resilient means moves the device in said givendirection, (c) re-establishing the preset magnitude of fluid pressureand (d) repeating (a)-(c).
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein saidpressure-actuated means comprises a first piston slidably coupled withinsaid enclosure to move along a line substantially parallel to said givendirection.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cycling meanscomprises an opening in a head of said piston to which said fluidpressure is applied, and displaceable sealing means for sealing saidpiston head opening, a second piston within which said first piston isslidably received, said second piston being movable along said parallelline, a release outlet defined in said second piston and positioned tobecome uncovered only when said second piston extends a pre-selecteddistance beyond said first piston toward said resilient means, andengagement means on said second piston for displacing said sealing meansaway from said piston head opening when said first piston is in apre-selected telescoped position within said second piston, said releaseoutlet being covered when the engagement means is in contact with thesealing means, and said sealing means being spaced from said engagementmeans when the release outlet is uncovered.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4,wherein said cycling means further comprises a second resilient meansbetween the first and second piston for biasing said first piston in thegiven direction and for biasing said second piston in an oppositedirection.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lid is secured tosaid first piston for sliding motion therewith within said enclosure. 7.The apparatus of claim 6, wherein movement of the first piston andsecond piston toward the resilient means along said parallel line issuch as to cause the resilient means to generate a sufficient force tomove the device in said given direction only upon the first piston beingso positioned as to place said lid in its first position.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein said device is retained in a holder withinsaid space, said holder having one part thereof engaging said secondpiston, and another part thereof engaging said resilient means.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for applying fluid pressurecomprises a valve actuated by a timer.
 10. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein said lid is secured to said first piston for sliding motiontherewith within said enclosure.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, whereinmovement of the first piston and second piston toward the resilientmeans along said parallel line is such as to cause the resilient meansto generate a sufficient force to move the device in said givendirection only upon the first piston being so positioned as to placesaid lid in its first position.
 12. The apparatus of claim 4, whereinmovement of the first piston and second piston toward the resilientmeans along said parallel line is such as to cause the resilient meansto generate a sufficient force to move the device in said givendirection only upon the first piston being so positioned as to placesaid lid in its first position.
 13. The apparatus of claim 4 whereinsaid device is retained in a holder within said space, said holderhaving one part thereof engaging said second piston, and another partthereof engaging said resilient means.